The present invention relates to a reduced size personal computer and, more particularly, to a reduced size personal computer including a retractable display such that said computer in the stowed orientation has a depth dimension less than a depth dimension of said display in an extended orientation. The retractable screen has efficient light display characteristics so that a low power projector, such as a light emitting diode projector, may be used.
Conventional personal computers, especially portable computers, typically comprise a rectangular base that houses internal operating components such as a motherboard, a hard disk drive, a battery pack, and a floppy disk drive. The rectangular base typically comprises a book type shape which, when opened, includes a keyboard in the lower half of the base, and a display screen in the upper half of the base. The height of the computer in a stowed orientation typically comprises the height of the upper and lower halves positioned adjacent one another. The display screen is manufactured of a rigid material so that the width and depth dimensions of the computer in the stowed orientation typically are defined by the width and depth dimensions of the display screen.
Due to the fixed dimensions of the rigid screen, size reduction efforts have been concentrated in reducing the height, i.e., the thickness, of the computer, such as by manufacturing a thin display screen. In one prior art computer, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,806, to Busch, the rigid screen comprises a thin top plate which is folded onto the lower half of the base during storage. A pop-up liquid crystal display projector is incorporated into the lower half of the base, wherein the projector projects an image onto the rigid screen. However, this prior art computer has several disadvantages. Namely, the power required to operate the lamp for the liquid crystal display projector is quite high for a portable device, and the liquid crystal display projector generates a relatively large amount of heat which must be dissipated. The thin, flat computer is also susceptible to damage during transport. Moreover, even though the height of the computer is reduced, the width and depth dimensions are still fixed by the screen size that is desired. In other words, the computer base has a footprint contiguous with the full size of the screen.
Accordingly, there is a need for a more compact and robust computer that will withstand rough handling during transport. In addition, there is a need for a personal computer having a footprint in a stowed orientation that is less than the full size of its display screen when the screen is in a viewing orientation. There is also a need for a personal computer that can be manufactured in a size smaller than heretofore known, and which requires less power and generates less heat than prior art computers.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a reduced size personal computer.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reduced size personal computer that can withstand rough conditions during transport.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a reduced size personal computer that has a footprint in a stowed orientation that is less than the full size of its display screen when the screen is in a viewing orientation.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a reduced size personal computer that requires a reduced amount of power for operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a reduced size personal computer that generates a reduced amount of heat during operation.
The present invention provides a reduced size personal computer comprising a base having first and second base portions movably connected to one another. In the preferred embodiment the two base portions are hingedly connected and fold together much like a book. In the extended orientation, the first and second base portions both lie flat on a working surface, such as a tabletop. The first portion typically includes a keypad and a mouse region, and the second portion typically includes the internal operating components such as the motherboard, battery pack and disk drives. A retractable display screen is extended upwardly from a storage compartment in the second base portion to its full, extended height. Due to the retractable nature of the display screen, the portable computer disclosed herein has a footprint in a stowed orientation that is smaller than the extended size of the screen. In one series of embodiments the screen is manufactured of a flexible material and is retracted into the computer base in a variety of methods, such as around a cylindrical drum, backwardly over itself via a pulley system, and in an accordion-type folded arrangement. In another embodiment, the screen may comprise multiple rigid sections that fold together in an accordion-type arrangement or backwardly over itself via a pulley system. The computer may further comprise one or more extendable projectors adapted to project an image onto the screen in the extended position, wherein the projector is received in a storage compartment within the base when the computer is in the stowed orientation.